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LAPLACE — For more than 22 years, Performance Physical Therapy owner Joseph L. Shine has helped patients in the St. John the Baptist Parish area quickly return to a full and productive life. Joe recently purchased the historic building at 509 Main Street in LaPlace and renovated the space to house Performance Physical Therapy and CrossFit LaPlace.

Joe owns CrossFit LaPlace along with his son Patrick Shine, who is active duty in the U.S. Navy, and his daughter-in-law Keely Shine, who is in the Navy Reserves and her third year of LSU Veterinarian School. CrossFit LaPlace is the first and only CrossFit gym in St. John the Baptist Parish.

Joe said the dual location is perfect because physical therapy and fitness go hand in hand. 

“It’s nice to get people better and then help prevent them from re-injuring themselves by getting them into an exercise program,” Joe said. “That’s why we are side by side, in addition to it being a family-owned business.”

CrossFit is a nationally recognized high intensity strength and conditioning program centered around movement. The regimen also has a big focus on nutrition to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

At 58 years old, Joe was apprehensive about getting into CrossFit, but he found it has improved his overall wellness, down to his breathing and his blood pressure.

There are ladies in their 60s who have joined CrossFit LaPlace, according to Keely. She said it is truly a workout for all ages.

“We have a cool little hangout room in here. We encourage people to bring their kids, and we want kids to get involved. It’s for high school on up,” Keely said.

Patrick said CrossFit LaPlace offers discounts for active-duty military and veterans since they are the type of people who “know how to pull through.” That kind of spirit and perseverance is in line with the CrossFit lifestyle.

CrossFit LaPlace is open at 509 Main Street Monday through Friday with workouts at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., noon, 4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. There are also 8 a.m. Saturday morning workouts free to any member of the public who wants to see what CrossFit is all about.

For more information on CrossFit LaPlace, visit www.crossfitlaplace.com or call 985-218-5538.

Right next door, Performance Physical Therapy continues its longstanding tradition of treating patients with heavily exercise-based, hands-on techniques to address the cause of the dysfunction and minimize pain. Patients receive personalized treatment plans based on their specific diagnosis, goals and needs.

Joe’s extensive education, athletic background, military history and involvement with local industry gives him a unique approach to rehabilitating patients. He has practiced physical therapy for more than 24 years, specializing in the treatment of the neck and back and industrial related injuries.  

Joe opened the Performance Physical Therapy LaPlace location in 1998. His son, Matthew Shine, followed in his footsteps to become the managing PT at the Performance Physical Therapy New Orleans location.

Joe’s professional experience has designated him an expert within the fields of ergonomics, functional capacity evaluations and post-hire pre-placement evaluations. He was also appointed by the governor to serve on the Louisiana Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council from 2012 to 2016. In addition to serving on several patient advocated boards, Joe served in the U.S. Naval Reserves for 13 years and reached the rank of Lieutenant Commander. His military career included serving in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm.

He is also deeply rooted in the community as a 1981 graduate of East St. John High School, where he played football on the 1980 state championship team. He is very familiar with the local people as well as the local industry, which sets Performance Physical Therapy apart from other clinics in the area.

“We deal with a lot of local employers. I do ergonomic work for industries, so I have a really good feel for what the jobs entail,” Joe said.

In addition to providing job site evaluations and recommendation of cost-effective modifications in the workplace, Performance Physical Therapy also offers job-specific injury prevention programs. Joe said physical therapy can provide cardiovascular reconditioning using real-world work activities such as ladders, column climbing, box lifting and ratchet carrying.

The clinic is also unique in its wide range of equipment. Instead of using an exercise mat, Joe utilizes bicycles, treadmills and pulleys to exercise patients in upright positions mimicking everyday life.

The new 509 Main Street location is a historic building that originally housed LaPlace Lumber Company from 1940 until 1998. Over the past 20 years, it has been home to a series of bars and restaurants. Some of the historic wood beams from the Lumber Company remain in the building today.

“We love to see historic buildings put back into commerce,” said St. John Parish Economic Development Director Stanley Bienemy. “This is a great location, and we are extremely excited about it.”

For more information, visit www.performancept.com or call the LaPlace Clinic at 985-653-9242.